Legal Question in Criminal Law in Colorado
limitations of pressing charges
Is there a time limit that a victim can decide to press charges after an incident, and they have declined to do so, how long after can they still change their mind?
2 Answers from Attorneys
Re: limitations of pressing charges
Your question pre-supposes that a victim can "press" charges. You may have heard that on TV, but in reality, in the US, the government charges the defendant. The decision of whether to do so or not is made by the goverment, not by the victim.
Re: limitations of pressing charges
It depends upon the crime, because statutes of limitation vary. Generally, the least amount of time is a year after the incident. But the district attorney presses charges, not you; if you wait to contact police such that evidence becomes stale, a DA is unlikely to prosecute.
Good luck.
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